Fruit-picker.



PATENTED APR. 11, 1905.

W/ TN E SSE S NO. 787,164. Patented April 11, 1905. p

NTTnn STATES PATENT @FFICE.

FRANK FISHER, JR, OF OCONTO, \VISCONSIN.

FRUIT-PIOKER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 787,164, dated April 11, 1905.

Application filed June 29,1904. Serial No. 214,613.

if l/ i pockets 1) and F are preferably made of fleece- 1e it known that l, Fnaxlt Fisunn, Jr., a lined cloth or othersuitable flexible t'abricmacitizen oi the United States, and a resident of terial. and the pole as well as the duct, may

()conto, in the county of ()conto and State of be made in sections connected with each other 7 5 \Yisconsin, have invented a new and lmproved by suitable devices, such as ferrules tor the Fruit-Picker, of which the following is a full, pole-sections and buttonholes for the duct-secclear, and exact description. tions. g

The object of the invention is to provide a The pickingdevice fordisengagiugthe t'ruit 3f; new and improved fruit-picker which is simfrom the branch of the tree consists, essen- Io pie and durable in construction. easily matially,ot'aknit'e({andastem-guide l'l ,otwhich 6O nipulated by the operator stamling on the theknit'e (Jr is in the form of an approximately ground, and arranged to perinitot'picking the triangular blade which extends across the fruit and delivering it to a pocket within conouter or apex end of the pear-shaped pocket venieut reach of the operator without danger l) and is secured at its sides to the hoop 13 by 15 ot' bruising or otherwise injuring the t'ruitor screws or other fastening means, the inner tree. side of the blade t'orming the cutting edge.

The invention consists of novel features and The guide ll is preferably made ot a piece ol parts and combinations of the same,as will be wire bent to an inverted-V shape, the apex more t'ully described hereinafter and then portion reaching over the knife-blade and the 20 pointed out in the claims. ends of the side members being secured to op- A practical embodiment of the invention is posite sides of the hoop B, one of the screws represented in the accompanving drawings, for securing the knileblade in position being forming a part of this specification, in which also used for securing the apex end of the stemf snmlar characters of reference indicate correguide in position on top of the kmt'e-blznle. 25 spending parts in all the views. \Vhen the operator manipulates the pole Figure l is a perspective view of the imand desires to remove the fruit from thelimb provement in use. Fig. 2 is an enlarged plan of the tree, then the fruit is caused to extend viewot' theimprovement. Fig. 3 is a sectional into the pocket l.) with its stem between the side elevation of the upper end of the improve sidearins or members of the guide H, and by 30 ment, and Fig. l is a like view of the lower the operator now giving a downward pull the end of the improvement. fruitstem is guided up to the knit'eedge ot a v;

()n the upper and lower ends of a pole A the knife with the fruit underneath the guide are secured hoops B and C, of which the upand within the pocket I), and a slight jerk now v I per hoop B is approximatelyin alinement with given to the pole by the operator causes the g 35 the pole A, while the lower hoop C is some knile to cutthe stem, and the fruit nowdrops what extended forwardly and upwardly from into the pocket and slides or rolls down the f the lower end of the said pole A. duct 1G to iiually pass into the delivory-pocket ()u the upper hoop B is secured the mouth F, from which the fruit is removed by the opot' a pocket 1), connected by a duct 1G with a crater. The delivery-pocket F is provided 40 delivery-pocket F, attached at its mouth to with an abutment F, of heavy telt or like ma- 9 if f; the lower hoop (I. so that the pockets 1) and terial, so that on the fruit striking the abuts F are connected with each other by the duct ment F the latter readily yields to prevent ILandhence the t'ruitdroppinginto thepocket bruising or other injury to the fruit. As l) can readily pass through the duct ll down soon as the truithas reached the pocketF and 4,5 into the delivery-pocket F to be removed has come to a rest therein it can be readily therefrom by theoperatm', it being understood removed by theoperator and placed in a basket that the said pockets are practically the teror other suitable receptacle standing on the minals ot' the duct lC. ground or carried by the operator. ;\s shown in the dranings, the duct l is re- In order to enable the operator to conven- 5 movably held on the pole A, and the duetand l iently manipulate the pole with one hand, a 0 1,3

stirrup I is provided, having at the upper end i of its hand a snap-hook I, adapted to be engaged with a ring I on a strap 1 secured to the lower hoop C at the delivery-pocket F. The foot-piece of the stirrup is engaged by the foot of the operator, as plainly indicated ing device enables the operator to conveniently manipulate the device without the use of the stirrup I.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. In a fruit-picker, a pole, an approximately pear-shaped hoop at one end of the pole, a knife-blade secured to the hoop at the apex end thereof, the cutting edge of the knife-blade extending transversely between the sides of the hoop, and an approximately V-shaped guide havingits apex end extending over the knife-blade to the apex of the hoop and secured to said apex and its side members extending past the knife-edge and outwardly to the sides of the hoop, with their ends secured to said sides of the hoop.

and at its lower end with a stirrup flexibly connected therewith.

3. A fruit-picker comprising a pole, hoops at the ends thereof, a duct on the pole and connected with the said hoops, a fruit-detaching device connected with one of the hoops, and a stirrup connected with the other hoop.

4. A fruit-picker comprising a pole, a picking device at the upper end thereof, a stirrup adapted to be engaged and held upon the ground' by the foot of the operator, and a strap connecting the lower end of the picker with the stirrup to form a fulcrum to assist the operator in the manipulation of the pole.

5. A fruit-picker, comprising a pole, hoops at the ends thereof, the lower hoop extending downwardly and forwardly from the pole, a duct on the pole and connected with said hoops, a fruit-detaching device connected with the upper hoop, a stirrup adapted to be engaged 'and held upon the ground by the foot of the operator, and a flexible connection connecting the stirrup with the lower forwardly-extending side of the hoop.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

FRANK FISHER, JR.

Vitnesses:

L. C. HARVEY, BESSIE HARVEY. 

